"...My next stop along the Route des Chateaux in Medoc was to see Albert Tiffon in Pauilliac. He owns Chateau la Fleur Haut Carras. If ever you want to meet the definition of a local go see Albert. His family has been growing grapes and making wine in Pauilliac since 1717. Albert has 4 hectares of vineyard that he patch-worked together from inheritances divided amongst siblings and cousins and from small purchases he was able to make in the 1980s. He very clearly told us that it would be impossible to do this today as the big Chateaux have driven the price of plantable land in Pauilliac to the 3 million euro per hectare range. Albert is one of 5 remaining small family producers. He has parcels next to all of the first growths in town and each of them has made numerous offers to buy Albert’s vines. Should he one day accept, he could walk into retirement with a cool 12 million! “Jamais!” Not going to happen, says Albert, who has no intention of selling out and reducing the number of small independent Pauilliac Chateaux. He would much rather make a delicious wine the way his forefathers did in a village that just so happened to have reached the pinnacle of fame in French wine lore...."

Albert Tiffon from La Fleur Haut Carras has built up his estate in small steps since 1982. Unable to take over his parent's estate, as they were still active, he decided to create his own by parceling together some small plots when he could. He now owns 8 hectares in Haut Médoc, and above all, 4 hectares in Pauillac.

Today it would be impossible for him to purchase new plots of Pauillac, as the pressure from all his neighbors (D'Armailhac, Mouton, Pontet Canet and so on), is hard. Albert often receives calls to know if he is willing to sell his 4 hectares, which are worth about 2 million euros per hectare! A Mouton Rothschild for instance, could bottle wine made from Albert's vineyards in Pauillac and sell it for 300€ per bottle in contrast with Albert's 20€. It is for this reason that all the little properties in the famous Left Bank appellations sell their estates to the big classified growths. And so we consider ourselves very lucky to have a first Pauillac wine from a small producer, not a second, or third or fourth wine from a classified growth. Albert is committed to continuing to work his small estate, is proud of his wines and proud to be one of the last in Pauillac." -Importer